Chang noted that the Kingston Technical High School student, “was part of the future and hope of our country Jamaica.”

“She represented, like all our youth, the promise and potential of the prosperous Jamaica we all want to see.

“We must continue our efforts to fight crime, and murders in particular. I therefore encourage the residents and leadership of the Arnett Gardens community to extend their full cooperation to the police. The perpetrators of this heinous crime must be swiftly brought to justice,” the security minister said.

Francis reportedly left home just after 9:00 Thursday night to purchase food at a nearby shop. When she did not return home, her mother raised an alarm and a search was launched.

The following morning her charred remains were found in an open lot near a church, a short distance from her home. There are allegations that the teenager was raped. Her burnt body was reportedly found with chops wounds.

There are reports that there have been a series of rapes and murders in the South St Andrew community in recent months.